


Cold Truce

by Pikkulef



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:13:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikkulef/pseuds/Pikkulef
Summary: Silly one-shot that happens somewhere in the middle of S2. Karen and Matt are already more or less separated. Will a virus be the one to defeat the man in the mask ?





	Cold Truce

The knocks… he’d describe them as a bunch of cannons firing, all together, in slow motion. He was tempted to yell so that it would stop, but, not only was his throat very sore, he didn’t want to add more noise to this.

It was slightly unsettling, not knowing who was there. Usually, he could tell – often, if paying attention, he’d know long before anyone knocked. Groaning, he stood up, walked towards the door, dragging his feet and keeping his balance with a hand on the wall, and finally opened – putting an end to the cannon attack. His ears were still ringing from it.

“Oh Hell, Matt. You look like shit!   
“Nice to see you too, Foggy.” He croaked. “Please, can you – can you speak lower, please?   
“Sorry. Will do.”    
Foggy did not exactly whisper, but talked in his lowest voice, and Matt could do with that. Whispering had too many breathing sounds, and he was not sure he could deal with them. He stepped aside so Foggy could enter, then closed the door behind him. He had to readjust to noises consciously – including Foggy’s footsteps, and just his regular, personal assorted sounds. This was _bad_. But having him here made him feel a little better.   
“Has there ever been a time when I _didn’t_ look like shit, according to you?”

Even his own voice. Even his own voice resonated inside his skull, deformed by his blocked-up nose and ears. 

“Well, there was this one time, in college, when -   
“Rhetorical question.” He tried to keep his dignity even when he sniffed loudly. “What are you doing here?   
“Trying to catch your cold, so Karen would ask about me like she does about you.” Foggy had sat on one side of the sofa, keeping far from what must have looked like an occupied place, what with the blanket and tissue box Matt kept there with him.   
“Oh, she does?” Too quick. But also too loud. Matt couldn’t suppress a groan and let himself collapse on his side of the sofa. He wrapped himself in his blanket, and coughed for a while.   
“I love the effect this has on you. Every time, but damn, it’s so much funnier when you’re sick. Yes, she does, and she’s worried, but she is also too polite to come up and say hi. Or whatever reason she has that I’m probably not supposed to know about.    
“Are you just here to make fun of me, Foggy?  
“Admit it, it’s pretty funny.” Foggy was obviously trying to chuckle while keeping his voice down, but it wasn’t working that well. Matt tried to put up with it.   
“Matthew Murdock, the little red nosed lawyer.   
“That bad, uh?   
“Oh, yes.” Foggy attempted to put his hand on his shoulder, keeping it light. “My god, Matt, you’re boiling.   
“Yeah, and you shouldn’t be here, you’re going to catch this bug for real.   
“Allow us to do our part and take care of you for once.”   
There was something heavy in this statement, and Matt, as off as he was because of the cold, noticed it. He made a little nod.   
“I’m not around for long, but I’ll have Karen relay me. However, in the meantime – ”   
Foggy ruffled something at their feet, and Matt realized he had not noticed Foggy had not come empty handed. He was definitely off his game.   
“I am here to feed you !  
“What, like I can’t feed myself? You want to babysit, I have a neighbour with five kids, you know.   
“Matt, like you’re not usually getting a steady diet of Thai take away and beer. And not even good beer.   
“I can’t drink too much high percentage alcohol.” Too much talking. He started coughing again, but he felt relieved. He had missed their usual banter.     
“Then drink Pepsi, I don’t know, man. Anyway.” Matt felt Foggy stand up, take what he identified as plastic bags in front on him, and heard his incredibly loud footsteps walk towards the kitchen part of his flat.   
“Hope you won’t mind letting me help myself there.   
“Do your thing, I don’t feel like I’m allowed to complain here.” Matt stayed on the sofa, trying to form sounds loud enough so Foggy could hear them, but low enough so his head wouldn’t explode. His throat stung. “Just don’t misplace things too much, okay?   
“How long have we been roommates, already?”  
Matt didn’t turn, but shrugged. “Just saying.”   
“Yeah, I know.”   
Matt might have drifted away, or just lost his attention. The banging of ceramics startled him.   
“Sorry, sorry, won’t happen again, I’m done, see, it was just a matter of two minutes.” Foggy came back, holding something hot. Matt tried to identify the dish, but his smell has been obliterated for now.   
“Uh, what’s this?   
“Chicken broth, _à la_ Nelson. My mom used to cook that to me when I was sick, and she graciously yet reluctantly accepted to give me her recipe, granted that I only use it for the greater good.   
“I don’t remember you ever making this.   
“That’s because you’re rarely sick, lucky you. But when you are… oh boy. Come on, drink up. Careful, there’s some noodles in there. And it’s hot.”   
It was a miracle Matt had not started to drink, as he was again startled when his phone rang.

KAREN – KAREN – KAREN – KA –   
“Yo, K.” For once Foggy had had quicker reflexes than Matt. “You’ve almost given Matt a nice, boiling hot broth bath right now.”   
Matt put the bowl down and shook his slightly burnt hands, trying to ignore Foggy’s chuckle. As revenge, he wiped the few drops of broth that he had spilled on them on Foggy’s sleeve.  
“GODDAMMIT, MATT, NO!  
“Ouch, quiet, please –    
“Should have thought about it before doing _that_.”   
It was funny to hear Foggy trying to sound angry and keep his voice down at the same time. Matt laughed – and his throat made him regret it immediately. He still managed to croak: “You deserved it.”   
“I deserved it. Take the phone, it’s Karen.   
“Oh, is it?” He changed his tone as soon as he got the phone. “Uh, hello, Karen.   
“Matt? Oh my god, you sound terrible.” Karen’s voice had an instant soothing effect on him. But he couldn’t resist. Maybe it was how Foggy was with him, maybe it was the cold, but he felt light headed enough to joke with her.   
“What’s next? How’s my smell, Foggy?   
“What?!   
“Nothing” Matt tried to listen as Foggy suppressed his laugh but still made a lot of background noise nonetheless.   
“What do you mean?” Karen sounded tired and a little irritated now. This had not been the point.   
“Foggy keeps telling me I –“  Matt had to clear his throat. “Sorry, he says I look like shit, and now I sound terrible, so, you see…  
“I see you have not lost your sense of humor.   
“An impossible feat when Mr Nelson is around.” He suddenly had a very long fit of coughing, and felt Foggy’s friendly hand on his shoulder but tipped his head on the side to indicate he wanted him off. Foggy complied. Karen patiently waited.  
“Listen, I was thinking about going to the pharmacy. Is there anything I could take for you? As I hear, nasal spray would be useful…   
“Yeah, this. Also cough syrup, if you can. And mostly, painkillers. I’m totally out of them.”   
There was a light sigh on his side, and Foggy mumbled “Yeah we know why those disappear so fast.”   
Matt ignored him.   
“I’ll repay you. Promise.   
“Don’t be silly. I just want you to feel better. I’ll be at your place soon. See you then.   
“Hey, Karen.   
“Matt?   
“Thank you.”   
  
After tasting Foggy’s cuisine, which while totally bland had made him feel better by its warmth, Matt dozed off. Foggy had left and he had work to do, but getting up and sitting at the table with his laptop felt like too much. So he’d stayed on the couch, trying to gather his strength, and fell asleep instead.

Next thing he knew, a new salve of cannons fired at his door. Trying again to know who it was, he remembered Karen’s call. Must be her. He unfolded from the couch, leaving the blanket behind, and once again slowly walked to the door. Whoever it was, they had only knocked once, and he was thankful for that.   
“Oh, Matt, you -   
“Look like shit. I know.   
“You look better than what Foggy told me.” Karen chuckled. The brief musical sound warmed Matt’s heart. But not for long.   
“Also, I’d rather see you sick than beaten up.” She said while walking in.   
_Touché_ , he thought, but did not say anything.

As hard to hear as this little sally was, he deserved it ; and he was glad to hear her. Her voice was slightly distorted compared to usual, thanks to his blocked-up ears, but it was still Karen, it was still her soft voice – that he didn’t have to ask to lower – and she had come to his place. As she walked next to him, he realized with a frown that something was missing. She was there, he could hear her, could feel her…

Damn nose. Her smell had mostly gone. That cold was robbing him of one of the things he loved most about her. The flowery perfume she wore, mixed up with her own specific smell. A fragrance he would usually have to be careful not to get inebriated by. Gone.

Karen walked towards the kitchen, and he heard her settling yet another plastic bag on the counter.   
“How was Foggy’s food?   
“Tasteless.” He had to blow his nose. “But it’s not really his fault.”  
There was a relatively long silence as they both stayed there, not really knowing what to say. Karen was the first to talk.   
“I got you what we said. Nasal spray, cough syrup and painkillers. The ones I could get without a prescription, of course. Just leaving them there on the counter, they are labelled.  
“Thank you.” Say something, Matt, say something. “I’m glad you came, too. It’s been a while.”   
“You know why.” Karen sighed. Matt knew what was coming. “I can’t continue seeing you being beaten up all the time, not knowing what happens, you obviously lying, and shut my mouth.” She had let this out very quickly, and had to take in a breath. She got closer to him. “So I’d rather avoid seeing you, but…” She paused. Matt’s earing was still hazy but he could swear he heard her make a tiny noise with her lips. The one she did when she bit them.   
“…and now you’re sick. You don’t have control over this. You’re can’t really lie about getting a cold.” There was suddenly a smile in her voice. “Especially with that face of yours.”   
That was hard to swallow. But she was right. Maybe, if she stayed, maybe, if he felt it was the right time… but no. It was too dangerous.   
“So let’s call it a truce, shall we?”   
Lost in his thoughts, he had not listened to her, and with his dulled senses, he had not noticed she was now extremely close. She put a hand on his cheek. He was surprised at first. Then let out a sigh he’d been holding for way too long. He tilted his head in her hand.  
“I’ve been missing you, Matt.”


End file.
